220 Mr. PETRIE'S Inquiry into the Origin and 



as in the metaphorical notice in the Annals of Tighernach, at the year 7 1 8, 

 of a pjiopp ajigaio, which Mageoghegan translates, " a shower of money ," yet 

 as the word in its literal signification denotes silver simply, no certain inference 

 can be drawn from it either way. Yet, in some instances, it is difficult to 

 doubt that this word was applied to minted money, as in the following passage 

 in the Annals of Ulster, at the year 946 : 



"A. D. 946. tan mo Innpaioij pacpaij o'apgac jil o Ceniul Cojam DO pacpaig." 



" A. D. 946. The full of the Innfaidhech Patraig of white silver [or white money] was given 

 by the Cinel Eoghain, to St. Patrick." [i. e. to Joseph, his successor.] 



As the relic here called Innfaidhech, but more correctly Finnfaidhech by the 

 Four Masters, in their record of this donation, and which, according to the an- 

 cient poem by Flann of the Monastery, and the Tripartite Life of St. Patrick, 

 was made by Mac Cecht, one of the saint's smiths or artificers in iron, was a 

 bell, as I have shown in my Essay on ancient Irish Bells, it is not easy to ima- 

 gine it to have been filled with any other kind of tribute collected among the 

 numerous tribe of the Cinel Eoghain, than pieces of silver, each of small value, 

 then in circulation. When, however, at a later period, our annals become more 

 detailed, we find in them passages which show the use both of the screpall and 

 pinginn, as the following examples will sufficiently prove. Thus, in Mageoghe- 

 gan's translation of the Annals of Clonmacnoise, at the year 1009, we have the 

 following entry : 



A. D. 1009. " There was great scarcity of Corne and Victualls this year in Ireland, insomuch 

 that a hoop [i. e. a quarter of a peck] was sold for no less than five groates, which came (as my 

 author sayeth), ton, penny for every barren." [i. e. cake.] 



It is to be regretted that we have not the original Irish of this passage, to 

 ascertain the Irish word which Mageoghegan has translated groate; but it can 

 scarcely be doubted that it must have been one of the Irish terms for the 

 screpall, or larger silver coin in use amongst them, as that denominated groat 

 did not come into use in Ireland till the reign of Edward III. 



Thus also, in the Annals of the Four Masters, at the year 1031, distinct 

 mention is made of the pinginn, as being then in general circulation at Ar- 

 magh, and there is every reason to believe it Irish and not Danish money : 



" A. D. 1031. plaicBepcach na Ne'ill DO coioeacc 6 Roim. Gp ppi perheap plaicbepcaij 

 po jaibc! an connpao oimop i n-Opomacha, arhail ap pollup ip in pano : 



